Cotton rug cleaning tool



- April 1959 D. TTKURLINSKI 2,881,464

YCOTTON RUG CLEANING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1, 1954 April 4, 1959 D. T. KURLINSKI 2,881464 COTTON RUG CLEANING TOOL Filed Nov. 1, '1954 v v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 'IIIIIIII United States PatentiO COTTON RUG CLEANING TOOL Dale T. Kurlinski, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 465,998 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-360) the tool comprises a carpet engaging pad spacing the brush relatively to the pile thereof. It is a feature of this invention that the carpet engaging pad is adjustable in order to vary the spacing of the brush bristles from the surface of the carpet to compensate for the depth of the pile or for wear thereof. In accordance with this invention the surface engaging element of the cleaning tool is formed as a unit separate from the nozzle body, and includes means for releasably securing said element to the nozzle body. Thus, the cleaning tool of this invention is convertible from use in cleaning a cotton carpet and may be utilized in cleaning other forms of carpets as well.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel suction cleaning tool, including a carpet engaging element spacing the brush of the'tool relatively to the pile of the carpet, which element is mounted on the nozzle body by resilient means urging it towards the carpet surface. The spacing of the brush from the carpet pile may be varied .by the application of downward pressure on the tool in opposition to the resilient mounting means, depressing the tool on the carpet surface and bringing the brush closer to the pile.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel suction cleaning tool including a carpet engaging element provided with a plurality of surfaces disposed at different distances below the plane of the brush. In accordance with this construction the tool body may be rocked bringing one-or another of the surfaces of the surface engaging element into contactwith the carpet, to vary Qthe spacing of the brush relative to the surface being cleaned to compensate for the depth of the carpet pile or for wear thereof. 1

Further objects and advantages ofthe instant invention will appear from aconsiderationof the detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments thereof which follows, reference being bad to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a suction cleaning tool formed in accordance with the instant invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the cleaning tool of Fig. 1 taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view partly in section of a modified form of the suction cleaning tool of this invention,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 in Fig. .5, and,

2,881,464 Patented 14, 19 59 "ice Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7--7 in Fig. 5.

The novel suction cleaning tool of the instant invention comprises a nozzle body 10, formed with a rearwardly directed outlet conduit 11 for discharge of the dirty air stream. The outlet 11 has secured thereln a bearing collar 12 swivelly mounting a rearwardly and upwardly extending connecting collar 13. A manipulating wand 14 is secured in the collar 13 in any suitable manner and serves to conduct the dirty air stream to a filtering and suction producing device which may be of any conventional form known to the art.

The nozzle body 10 further includes a suction mouth 15 directed downwardly and opening onto the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle body 10 has an elongated form extending to either side of the outlet conduit 11, and includes a peripheral skirt 16 with an integral inturned lip 17. A brush for agitating the carpet and loosening the dust and like litter entrapped therein, is secured to the nozzle body 10 behind the lip 17.

The brush comprises a brush back 18 complementally formed with respect to the skirt 16, so as to be tightly clamped against the nozzle body 10 behind the inturned lip 17. The brush back 18 is formed with a centrally disposed inlet opening 19 for admission of the dirty air stream to the nozzle body 10. Brush bristles 20 are secured to the brush back 18 on a peripheral area there of and depend from the cleaning tool. The brush 18 comprises a hollow shell portion 21 disposed on either side of the inlet opening 19. Each hollow shell 21 has formed therein an eyelet 22 comprising a short bushing 23, preferably made of metal, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

In accordance with the instant invention means is provided in the cleaning tool for spacing the brush bristles 20 relatively to the surface to be cleaned, in such fashion as to achieve most efficient cleaning thereof. The spacing element 25 comprises an insert 26 which is generally'coextensive with the brush back 18. The insert 26 abuts the undersideof the brush back 18, and includes a centrally disposed portion 27 which is cut back to provide free access to the inlet opening 19. The insert 26 is secured to the brush back 18 by means of leaf springs 28 secured to the body of the insert 26 by bolts 29 or like means. Each of the leaf springs 28 is formed with an inclined shoulder 30 seating on the edge of the bush ing 23 to retain the insert 26 on the brush back 18. The ends of the .leaf springs 28 areinturned in an opposite direction from the shoulders 30 to form cam surfaces 31.

The leaf springs 28 as above described releasably secure the insert 26 to the brush back 18. To remove the insert 26 from the brush back 18 it is merely necessary to pull the insert 26 away from the brush back 18, whereupon the leaf springs 28 will flex as the inclined shoulders 30 slide off the edges of the. collars 23 and out of the eyelets 22, permitting separation of the insert .26. To reassemble the insert 26 on the brush back 18 it is merely placed against the brush back 18 with the cam portions 31 of the leaf springs 28 in alignment with the eyelets 22. Pressing the insert 26 against the brush back 18 will result in snappingthe leaf springs 28 into the eyelets 22, and the inclined shoulders 30 will engage on the edges of the bushings 23, securing the insert to the brush back 18.

The insert 26 is provided with a surface engaging pad 32 disposed adjacent each end thereof. Each pad 32 is mounted on the insert 26 by a headed bolt 33 loosely received in the insert 26. The pads 32 are each mounted within a complementally formed pocket 34, into which the pad 32 may be retracted. A leaf spring 35 is interposed between the insert 26 and the pad 32 for urging the latter in a direction projecting it outwardly of the pocket 34.

The novel suction cleaning tool of this invention is Intended primarily for use with cotton carpets having a thick and relatively loosely woven pile. In order to achieve eflective cleaning of such a carpet it is necessary to maintain the brush in slightly spaced relation to the pile thereof. It will be apparent that in using the suction cleaning tool described above, the pads 32 will bear on the carpet surface and, being spaced as they are below the plane of the brush 20, will maintain the latter in properly spaced relation to the pile of the carpet. However, should the carpet pile be worn, the brush bristles 20 may be brought closer to the carpet pile for maintaining the effectiveness of the cleaning action. In this circumstance the application of downward pressure to the cleaning tool will depress the nozzle body 10, and bring the brush bristles 20 closer to the carpet surface. The application of the pressure causes retraction of the pads 32 in'opposition to the bias of the leaf springs 35, and upon release of the force the leaf springs 35 will again urge the pads 32 to their normally projected position.

A modified form of the novel suction cleaning tool above described is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, in which identical parts bear the same reference numerals. The nozzle body and the brush 20 in the presently described embodiment are identical with the construction of the' first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4. An elongated insert 40 is releasably secured to the brush back 18 by leaf springs 28 in the same manner as described above.

The insert 40 is generally coextensive with the brush back 18, and includes a central portion 41 which is set back rearwardly to provide free access to the inlet opening- 19 in the brush back 18 for the admission of the dirty air stream. At either end of the insert 40 there is provided an integral surface contacting pad 42 which is disposed below the plane of the brush bristles 20 to maintain the latter in properly spaced relation with respect to the pile of the carpet for cleaning the same.

The surface contacting pads 42 each comprises angularly disposed pad portions 43, 44 spaced by an intermediate pad portion 45. The pad portions 43, 44 are disposed a lesser distance below the brush than is the intermediate pad portion 45. In normal cleaning operations the cleaning tool of this invention is positioned on the carpet with the intermediate pad portion 45 in contact with the surface to be cleaned as illustrated in Fig. 7. In this position of the cleaning tool the brush bristles 20 are Spaced above the pile of the carpet. In cleaning a carpet with a shorter pile or where the pile has become worn, and a greater agitating action is desired, the cleaning tool is inclined so that it is supported on either the pad portion 43 or the pad portion 44, thereby bringing the brush bristles 20 closer to the carpet pile and maintaining the effectiveness of the cleaning action. The insert 40 is releasably secured to the brush back in the same manner as described above in the first embodiment of the invention.

The instant invention in a suction cleaning tool has been described in two preferred embodiments thereof. Modifications thereof, falling within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, and accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited except as set forth in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaning tool comprising a nozzle body, an agitating brush for loosening dust and like litter, said brush including a brush back mounted in proximity to the nozzle, means for spacing the brush from the surface to be cleaned, means releasably mounting the spacing means on said brush back, the last said means including a leaf spring with an inclined shoulder, an eyelet in said brush back for the reception of the leaf spring, said shoulder seating on the eyelet for retaining the spacing means on the brush back and being releasable there from upon flexing of the leaf spring, said spacing means including an insert adapted to abut the brush back, said leaf spring being secured to the insert, a surface engaging pad on the insert, resilient means biasing the pad to a projected position, whereby pressure applied to the cleaning tool depresses the pad to dispose the brush closer to the surface being cleaned.

,2. A suction cleaning tool as recited in claim 1 in which said resilient means comprises a leaf spring interposed between the pad and the insert.

3. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a handle to propel the tool over a surface to be cleaned, means defining an outlet in said body for connection to a source of suction, a brush including surface engaging bristles mounted in a brush back, means securing said brush back to said body, means defining an inlet in said brush back communicating with said body outlet for passage of dirt laden air, means spacing said bristles from the surface to be. cleaned and arranged interiorly of said bristles to at all times expose said bristles to the surface, means defining an inlet in said spacing means communicating with said brush back inlet for passage of dirt laden air to said body outlet, said spacing means having a plurality of surface engaging portions projecting below said bristles and extending transversely of the direction of propelling movement of said tool along the surface, two of said surface portions disposed in planes inclined with respect to each other and an intermediate portion arranged between said two portions, each of said portions being selectively engageable with the surface to be cleaned by raising and lowering said handle with respect to the surface for adjusting said bristles relative to the surface being cleaned.

4. A surface cleaning tool as described in claim 3, and means for disconnecting said spacing means completely from said body whereby dirt laden air passes through said brush back inlet to said outlet and said bristles directly engage the surface to be cleaned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,209,272 English Dec. 19, 1916 1,617,103 Custer Feb. 8, 1927 1,770,749 Engberg et al July 15, 1930 1,812,493 Martiuet June 30, 1931 1,881,432 Finnell Oct. 11, 1932 2,734,215 Wilson Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 413,658 Italy May 21, 1946 1,070,322 France Feb. 17, 1954 

